This morning, on the way to work, I stopped at Target for a few items. I took Allia in with me. She was soooooo good. (Note to self ……toddler is good at shopping first thing in the morning.)

Target has some dollar bins up front by the shopping carts and it is fun to let Allia pick an item when we head into the store. Then, the rest of the shopping she has her hands full with her $1 item and is not nearly as grabby or crabby as I shop for my needs. This morning she picked a Curious George puzzle and then we couldn’t pass up a little Elmo book. She clutched her special treasures the whole time I was shopping and then reluctantly handed them over to the check out lady when it was time to pay for her booty. The lady was smart and put the two items in a small bag and handed them directly back to the anxious toddler, who beamed with joy that her prizes were now in her very own bag.

Next it was time to drop her at school but when we got to the parking lot she refused to leave her bag of goodies in the car. So, we carried them, along with her precious “te-te” (how she says blanket) into the day care. I told her the items must go in her cubby and she was fine with that. In fact, since we were a little bit late, the kids were on the rug in a circle listening to the teacher lecture on nutrition, so she shed her coat quickly and rushed to join the group. I had to stop her to gather my good-bye kiss before she headed off and did not look back.

I place her new toys and “te-te” into her cubby along with her coat. One of the other teachers was nearby so I gave her a quick explanation as to why I was putting the unusual items up. She perked up and wanted to know where the bargains could be found. I won’t be surprised if the school ends up with a few items from Target’s $1 bin some time soon.